DivX software suggestions?

Discussion in 'DVD Video' started by nmorson@googlemail.com, Dec 16, 2007.

Guest

Apologies if I'm in the wrong area - just point me in the right
direction please

DivX software suggestions? I'm trying to convert DVD rips to DivX and
Xvid etc. and maintain the AC3 audio. I've got the DivX bundle and
tried various other software but how do I know whether the AC3 track
has been preserved?

I'm unable to play back DivX on my DVD player at the moment and am
looking to invest in a media streamer. Hence I need to make sure my
DivX (or other codec) rips contain the AC3 track. Most of the software
I've tried so far (DivX bundle, Free DVD Ripper, Simple DivX and
AutoGK) show the AC3 track but I have no way of knowing if it's still
there after the rip

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<> wrote in message
news:...
> Apologies if I'm in the wrong area - just point me in the right
> direction please
>
> DivX software suggestions? I'm trying to convert DVD rips to DivX and
> Xvid etc. and maintain the AC3 audio. I've got the DivX bundle and
> tried various other software but how do I know whether the AC3 track
> has been preserved?
>
> I'm unable to play back DivX on my DVD player at the moment and am
> looking to invest in a media streamer. Hence I need to make sure my
> DivX (or other codec) rips contain the AC3 track. Most of the software
> I've tried so far (DivX bundle, Free DVD Ripper, Simple DivX and
> AutoGK) show the AC3 track but I have no way of knowing if it's still
> there after the rip
>
> Any help much appreciated - Bear

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<> wrote in message
news:...
> Apologies if I'm in the wrong area - just point me in the right
> direction please
>
> DivX software suggestions? I'm trying to convert DVD rips to DivX and
> Xvid etc. and maintain the AC3 audio. I've got the DivX bundle and
> tried various other software but how do I know whether the AC3 track
> has been preserved?
>
> I'm unable to play back DivX on my DVD player at the moment and am
> looking to invest in a media streamer. Hence I need to make sure my
> DivX (or other codec) rips contain the AC3 track. Most of the software
> I've tried so far (DivX bundle, Free DVD Ripper, Simple DivX and
> AutoGK) show the AC3 track but I have no way of knowing if it's still
> there after the rip
>
> Any help much appreciated - Bear

wrote in news:d9c5dd06-586f-4c75-ad91-:
> Apologies if I'm in the wrong area - just point me in the right
> direction please
>
> DivX software suggestions? I'm trying to convert DVD rips to DivX and
> Xvid etc. and maintain the AC3 audio. I've got the DivX bundle and
> tried various other software but how do I know whether the AC3 track
> has been preserved?
>
> I'm unable to play back DivX on my DVD player at the moment and am
> looking to invest in a media streamer. Hence I need to make sure my
> DivX (or other codec) rips contain the AC3 track. Most of the software
> I've tried so far (DivX bundle, Free DVD Ripper, Simple DivX and
> AutoGK) show the AC3 track but I have no way of knowing if it's still
> there after the rip
>
> Any help much appreciated - Bear

Use GSpot to check the avi file after ripping. It will tell you if the
audio track is AC3.

Guest

Many thanks people - always rely on deja to come up with an answer!

I checked out TMPGenc Express yesterday under someones recomendation,
but it wouldn't handle AC3 - obviously I got the wrong trial!
Currently using SimpleDivX which seems to work well, but frequently
crashes under Vista.

Will give TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 - I like their software as I have an
old copy and it's the only program I've yet found which will rip RAM
format to DVD - very handy if you have a Panasonic DVD recorder

Guest

On Dec 16, 2:47 pm, wrote:
> Many thanks people - always rely on deja to come up with an answer!
>
> I checked out TMPGenc Express yesterday under someones recomendation,
> but it wouldn't handle AC3 - obviously I got the wrong trial!
> Currently using SimpleDivX which seems to work well, but frequently
> crashes under Vista.
>
> Will give TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 - I like their software as I have an
> old copy and it's the only program I've yet found which will rip RAM
> format to DVD - very handy if you have a Panasonic DVD recorder
>
> Bear

Oh dear - sorry but TMPGenc does little more than SimpleDivX or the
DivX bundle that I have - in other words there are no user
configurable options for quality other than setting the target size. I
have a copy of AutoGK but again this does not allow me to modify the
DivX codec for quality or speed.

<> wrote in message
news:...
> Oh dear - sorry but TMPGenc does little more than SimpleDivX or the
> DivX bundle that I have - in other words there are no user
> configurable options for quality other than setting the target size.

All of Divx's quality settings are accesible including using their built in
'Home Theater' setting if you so choose.
Setting exact bitrate, biderectional coding, keyframe, noise filter, 2
pass, 1pass etc is all there.

You can also choose mpeg1, mpeg2, or ac3 audio, set subtitles, or create
menus for the Divx file.

Guest

On Dec 16, 6:34 pm, "Jim" <jimmy AT hotmail.com> wrote:
> <> wrote in message
>
> news:...
>
> > Oh dear - sorry but TMPGenc does little more than SimpleDivX or the
> > DivX bundle that I have - in other words there are no user
> > configurable options for quality other than setting the target size.
>
> All of Divx's quality settings are accesible including using their built in
> 'Home Theater' setting if you so choose.
> Setting exact bitrate, biderectional coding, keyframe, noise filter, 2
> pass, 1pass etc is all there.
>
> You can also choose mpeg1, mpeg2, or ac3 audio, set subtitles, or create
> menus for the Divx file.

Wow...I missed that under preferences (although for some strange
reason the target size doesn't seem to change according to the
encoding quality). Many thanks ... next time I'll look a little harder!

<> wrote in message news:1f9d931c-6fa7-4052-965b-
> Oh dear - sorry but TMPGenc does little more than SimpleDivX or the
> DivX bundle that I have - in other words there are no user
> configurable options for quality other than setting the target size. I
> have a copy of AutoGK but again this does not allow me to modify the
> DivX codec for quality or speed.

I sent something similar a few hours ago.. not sure if it will show up
but....

In short, all the Divx settings are available.
You have to dig into the settings menu of the source.
Anything you need to change is there.

Guest

On Dec 16, 7:49 pm, "Jim" <jimmy AT hotmail.com> wrote:
> <> wrote in message news:1f9d931c-6fa7-4052-965b-
> > Oh dear - sorry but TMPGenc does little more than SimpleDivX or the
> > DivX bundle that I have - in other words there are no user
> > configurable options for quality other than setting the target size. I
> > have a copy of AutoGK but again this does not allow me to modify the
> > DivX codec for quality or speed.
>
> I sent something similar a few hours ago.. not sure if it will show up
> but....
>
> In short, all the Divx settings are available.
> You have to dig into the settings menu of the source.
> Anything you need to change is there.

<> wrote in message
news:...
> On Dec 16, 7:49 pm, "Jim" <jimmy AT hotmail.com> wrote:
>> <> wrote in message
>> news:1f9d931c-6fa7-4052-965b-
>> > Oh dear - sorry but TMPGenc does little more than
>> > SimpleDivX or the
>> > DivX bundle that I have - in other words there are no user
>> > configurable options for quality other than setting the
>> > target size. I
>> > have a copy of AutoGK but again this does not allow me to
>> > modify the
>> > DivX codec for quality or speed.
>>
>> I sent something similar a few hours ago.. not sure if it
>> will show up
>> but....
>>
>> In short, all the Divx settings are available.
>> You have to dig into the settings menu of the source.
>> Anything you need to change is there.
>
> Thanks - now to stump up some cash!

Some other thoughts:

Although I've not tried this, I see no reason why it wouldn't
work.

Using VideoReDo (or perhaps some other programs) you can combine
unencrypted VOBs into a single MPG file. VRD will also demux as
M2V/MP2.

Using ATI's Avivo video conversion program, you can (with
limited, but adequate control over quality) do a one pass
conversion from MPEG2 to xvid-like MPEG4 in speeding-bulletlike
time (on the order of 9 minutes per hour of play time). Perhaps
even faster than I've observed, since you'll be leaving out the
sound track.

Finally, AVI-Mux GUI can mux in the AC3 file pulled as MP2 from
the original. AVI-MG can also adjust for synch issues, but there
should be none after running through VRD.

In article <>,
<> wrote:
>Many thanks people - always rely on deja to come up with an answer!
>
>I checked out TMPGenc Express yesterday under someones recomendation,
>but it wouldn't handle AC3 - obviously I got the wrong trial!
>Currently using SimpleDivX which seems to work well, but frequently
>crashes under Vista.
>
>Will give TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 - I like their software as I have an
>old copy and it's the only program I've yet found which will rip RAM
>format to DVD - very handy if you have a Panasonic DVD recorder
>
>Bear

"Bill Vermillion" <> wrote in message news:...
> In article
> <>,
> <> wrote:
>>Many thanks people - always rely on deja to come up with an answer!
>>
>>I checked out TMPGenc Express yesterday under someones recomendation,
>>but it wouldn't handle AC3 - obviously I got the wrong trial!
>>Currently using SimpleDivX which seems to work well, but frequently
>>crashes under Vista.
>>
>>Will give TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 - I like their software as I have an
>>old copy and it's the only program I've yet found which will rip RAM
>>format to DVD - very handy if you have a Panasonic DVD recorder
>>
>>Bear
>
> That is good to know. I've been using isobuster to do that.
>
> Bill
>
> --
> Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com

One awesome feature of the TMPGenc Divx authoring program is that you can
create your divx file with full on Title menus, chapters etc just like a
DVD. So if someone uses the Divx player to play it, it functions just as so.
If someone uses another media player however, the menu function is lost and
the file simply autoplays from the beginning sans menu.

A note tho. TMPGenc does not advertise a 'rip any DVD' kinda feature.
Although some store bought DVD movies can be ripped using it, some can not.
They do not claim to be a dvd ripper program.

In article <4768ab58$0$8804$>,
Jim <jimmy AT hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>"Bill Vermillion" <> wrote in message news:...
>> In article
>> <>,
>> <> wrote:
>>>Many thanks people - always rely on deja to come up with an answer!
>>>
>>>I checked out TMPGenc Express yesterday under someones recomendation,
>>>but it wouldn't handle AC3 - obviously I got the wrong trial!
>>>Currently using SimpleDivX which seems to work well, but frequently
>>>crashes under Vista.
>>>
>>>Will give TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 - I like their software as I have an
>>>old copy and it's the only program I've yet found which will rip RAM
>>>format to DVD - very handy if you have a Panasonic DVD recorder
>>>
>>>Bear
>>
>> That is good to know. I've been using isobuster to do that.
>>
>> Bill
>>
>> --
>> Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com
>
>
>One awesome feature of the TMPGenc Divx authoring program is that you can
>create your divx file with full on Title menus, chapters etc just like a
>DVD. So if someone uses the Divx player to play it, it functions just as so.
>If someone uses another media player however, the menu function is lost and
>the file simply autoplays from the beginning sans menu.
>
>A note tho. TMPGenc does not advertise a 'rip any DVD' kinda feature.
>Although some store bought DVD movies can be ripped using it, some can not.
>They do not claim to be a dvd ripper program.

I've been using the TMPGenc Express for recoding, and TDA 1.6 for
years. I guess it's time to upgrade even though I probably don't
need the Divx portion.

The TMPGenc Express came in quite handy in one instance.

There was a film on cable that I'd wanted and I made a mistake
in my DVR and only got the 1st hour.

A few months later it was replayed and I missed the first part
of the program.

One had been recorded in a 2-hour mode so it was the typical
format. The other got recorded in a 4-hour mode so the actual
frame was 1/2 width and would expand to full frame.

Obviously you can't hook those together. So I took the shorter
of thet two, used TMPGenc Express to change the encing, and then
used TDA to cut on a scene change.

The interesting part of that was that the transmission had
come from two different prints.

There were slight framing differences between the prints - minor -
but noticeable when looking for a cut point - but the difference
was subtle. A slight difference in color timing, but if you
didn't know what to look for you'd never notice.

I use the TMPxxxx programs, and VideoRedo almost exclusively.

I'm glad to know that the current program will read the DVD-RAM
from my Pansonics [found a 20 at Sams' that was alone on the shelf
with a lot of '15s] and since there was no price, I got a clerk
to check it. It was the last one in stock so they gave me 30%
of and I walked away with it for about $105. It was a good
addtion to the one with the HD when there were two programs
I wanted to record.

Thanks for the update. I found that there is a special at
Pegasys that will allow me to upgrade my 1.6 to the 3.0.
Originally the only upgrade to 3.0 was from 2.x

In article <>, Bill Vermillion <> wrote:
>In article <>,
> <> wrote:
>>Many thanks people - always rely on deja to come up with an answer!
>>
>>I checked out TMPGenc Express yesterday under someones recomendation,
>>but it wouldn't handle AC3 - obviously I got the wrong trial!
>>Currently using SimpleDivX which seems to work well, but frequently
>>crashes under Vista.
>>
>>Will give TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 - I like their software as I have an
>>old copy and it's the only program I've yet found which will rip RAM
>>format to DVD - very handy if you have a Panasonic DVD recorder
>>
>>Bear
>
>That is good to know. I've been using isobuster to do that.
>
>Bill
>
>--
>Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com

A followup. I tried to get to the tmpgenc update, and I found I
was not registered as a user.

So I went through the procedure where they will send me a linke
for registration.

NOTHING. Tried about 20 minutes later. Still NOTHING.

Checked at the ISP [where I'm the head tech-no-nut] and found
that tmpgenc really has their mailer screwed up.

Instead of sending mail to it is sending mail
to . Since there is no user
by that name it gets tossed away.

I've modified the filters at the ISP and will probably get a ton of
junk until I get the registration email, and can revert that
'new' user I just added.

I've never seen anthing like this before. If anyone else is hvaing
problems like this, I thought you should know.

In article <>, Bill Vermillion <> wrote:
>In article <>, Bill Vermillion <> wrote:
>>In article <>,
>> <> wrote:
>>>Many thanks people - always rely on deja to come up with an answer!
>>>
>>>I checked out TMPGenc Express yesterday under someones recomendation,
>>>but it wouldn't handle AC3 - obviously I got the wrong trial!
>>>Currently using SimpleDivX which seems to work well, but frequently
>>>crashes under Vista.
>>>
>>>Will give TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 - I like their software as I have an
>>>old copy and it's the only program I've yet found which will rip RAM
>>>format to DVD - very handy if you have a Panasonic DVD recorder
>>>
>>>Bear
>>
>>That is good to know. I've been using isobuster to do that.
>>
>>Bill
>>
>>--
>>Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com
>
>A followup. I tried to get to the tmpgenc update, and I found I
>was not registered as a user.
>
>So I went through the procedure where they will send me a linke
>for registration.
>
>NOTHING. Tried about 20 minutes later. Still NOTHING.
>
>Checked at the ISP [where I'm the head tech-no-nut] and found
>that tmpgenc really has their mailer screwed up.
>
>Instead of sending mail to it is sending mail
>to . Since there is no user
>by that name it gets tossed away.
>
>I've modified the filters at the ISP and will probably get a ton of
>junk until I get the registration email, and can revert that
>'new' user I just added.
>
>I've never seen anthing like this before. If anyone else is hvaing
>problems like this, I thought you should know.
>
>Bill
>--
>Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com

Final followup.

The IP of Pegasys was in a blocked list of know SPAM IPs from
China. Got that fixed and got the registration.

I will say that the Pegasys purchase/download is one of the most
convoluted operations I've ever seen.

Guest

On Dec 19, 8:05 pm, (Bill Vermillion) wrote:
> In article <>, Bill Vermillion <> wrote:
> >In article <>, Bill Vermillion <> wrote:
> >>In article <>,
> >> <> wrote:
> >>>Many thanks people - always rely on deja to come up with an answer!
>
> >>>I checked out TMPGenc Express yesterday under someones recomendation,
> >>>but it wouldn't handle AC3 - obviously I got the wrong trial!
> >>>Currently using SimpleDivX which seems to work well, but frequently
> >>>crashes under Vista.
>
> >>>Will give TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 - I like their software as I have an
> >>>old copy and it's the only program I've yet found which will rip RAM
> >>>format to DVD - very handy if you have a Panasonic DVD recorder
>
> >>>Bear
>
> >>That is good to know. I've been using isobuster to do that.
>
> >>Bill
>
> >>--
> >>Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com
>
> >A followup. I tried to get to the tmpgenc update, and I found I
> >was not registered as a user.
>
> >So I went through the procedure where they will send me a linke
> >for registration.
>
> >NOTHING. Tried about 20 minutes later. Still NOTHING.
>
> >Checked at the ISP [where I'm the head tech-no-nut] and found
> >that tmpgenc really has their mailer screwed up.
>
> >Instead of sending mail to it is sending mail
> >to . Since there is no user
> >by that name it gets tossed away.
>
> >I've modified the filters at the ISP and will probably get a ton of
> >junk until I get the registration email, and can revert that
> >'new' user I just added.
>
> >I've never seen anthing like this before. If anyone else is hvaing
> >problems like this, I thought you should know.
>
> >Bill
> >--
> >Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com
>
> Final followup.
>
> The IP of Pegasys was in a blocked list of know SPAM IPs from
> China. Got that fixed and got the registration.
>
> I will say that the Pegasys purchase/download is one of the most
> convoluted operations I've ever seen.
>
> If the SW weren't so good I'd have probably given up :-( &
>
> Bill
> --
> Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I agree - this is a very easy to use piece of software. As to the
issue of ripping DVD's that an earlier post mentioned, this is indeed
a pain. My understanding is that you are legally allowed to make a
copy of your original DVD for backup purposes only. Only in the event
that the original is destroyed or becomes unusable are you allowed to
use it. But will all of the CSS and Macrovision that is now applied to
DVD's this is becoming increasingly more difficult.

I always rip my original DVD's upon purchase to my hard drive (I have
a 1 year old son and they don't last very long if left lying around!)
and have to use a combination of Slysoft AnyDVD and DVD Shrink. I was
using DVD XCopy Platinum until I upgraded to Vista upon which is
doesn't work! Ultimately, I intend to reencode all of these DVD's to
DivX to play on a hacked Xbox running XBMC. Interesting to know that
the menus will still function using DivX player but not others

<> wrote in message news:cda2f392-a7c0-4572-a08c-
>But will all of the CSS and Macrovision that is now applied to
> DVD's this is becoming increasingly more difficult.
> I always rip my original DVD's upon purchase to my hard drive (I have
> a 1 year old son and they don't last very long if left lying around!)
> and have to use a combination of Slysoft AnyDVD and DVD Shrink. I was
> using DVD XCopy Platinum until I upgraded to Vista upon which is
> doesn't work! Ultimately, I intend to reencode all of these DVD's to
> DivX to play on a hacked Xbox running XBMC.

I rip all my movies to hard drive also. DVDFab Platinum has encoded to Divx
every DVD I have thrown at it.
Even those with CSS so harsh they crash other ripping programs. No divx menu
creation tool tho.
> Interesting to know that
> the menus will still function using DivX player but not others

Well with tmpgnec dvd author, (CSS allowing) the program will rip all your
chapters from the DVD and let you choose which you want to convert to Divx.
It will then auto create a menu based on templates using those chapters. It
doesn't afaik, use the original menu from the DVD.
I guess you could include the menu vob in your conversion and possibly use
it as a background for your new menu, but I don't want to mislead anyone
into thinking that it rips the DVD and menu exactly as seen to a divx file.

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